Zola Levitt Ministries Blog

In Earth as it is in Heaven

Posted on November 16, 2011 by ZLM Editor

As worlds collide and barbarism clashes with civilization, the Lord continues to verify His prophetic Word. I tell congregations, “The headlines are catching up to the Bible.” Only the Tanach (Hebrew Scriptures) and the Brit Hadashah (New Covenant) provide an accurate understanding of what we are seeing on planet Earth.

The trickle of Jewish Believers has become a flood. The issue of Yeshua’s Messiahship is no longer the shondah (shame) that it was for us Jews growing up in 1950s’ New York City. The unthinkable is now debatable. In fact, it is hotly debated by Jews in Israel and worldwide. Controversy has always followed Jesus, at least on mankind’s part. Is He Lord? Liar? Lunatic? Was He a good man … just a “prophet”… a nice rabbi? Many of my NYC neighbors believed he was a nice Jewish boy who became a Catholic!

These controversies surround Him—during His earthly ministry and even following the universe-altering events at the cross.

Certainly the archaeological discoveries that continually arise—literally out of the graves of antiquity—offer the most fascinating and reliable settlement to any controversy. Genuine artifacts inscribed with Hebrew notations, carbon-dated and scholastically cross-verified shout out the truth of the Bible and the Chosen People.

Yet Islamic ideologues attempt to rewrite history in the popular press and spread their fables orally among their (sadly) all-too-illiterate minions. Their pathetic yet shockingly effective lies ally Muslims to—God have mercy—self-identified and well-meaning Christians who unwittingly undermine the Author of the greatest autobiography ever written.

The ossuary thought to reveal the home of high priest Caiaphas' family.

Happily, the “hits” keep on coming. Daily, shovels hit shards of truth-telling verification.

God says what He means and means what He says. His story, exactly as He authored it, is told in Scripture and unearthed in His Land, layer by layer. The tels (archaeological digs) tell the tale (See the article Ossuary Yields New Detail of Gospel Story on p. 11 of the September 2011 Levitt Letter at http://www.levitt.com/newsletters/2011-09.pdf).

Recently, more truth about David Melech Y’israel(David, King of Israel) has been unveiled. Articles abound in scientific and popular journals about the king who is the ancestor of the King (see Biblical Archeology Review). One scorching debate takes place in the venerable National Geographic (Volume 218, Number 6, page 67), where Jewish archaeologists take sides in the debate about the Book and its veracity.

King David is a favorite target for defamation because his life establishes many vital truths:

He lived 3000 years ago, quite a few centuries before the birth and death of Mohammed.
His purchase of the threshing floor of Arunah places the Temple Mount’s prime real estate clearly in Jewish ownership.
His ancestry (including Ruth, the gentile) places the Messianic prophecies in Bethlehem, where Yeshua would be born.
His tribal background confirms the identity of the Mashiach Ben David—Jesus—Who will appear soon as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

David is the writer of many of the psalms that Christians and Jews read as among the most genuine dialogues between man and God. David embodies our humanity on Earth, reaching for the skies. Our series Psalms of Ascent creatively displays that relationship.

God formed man from earth; now He is unearthing irrefutable evidence of His-story.

–Myles Weiss

Posted in Myles Weiss | Tagged Biblical Archeology, Myles Weiss | 1 Comment

Greetings from Katharine in God’s “hometown”!

Posted on November 9, 2011 by ZLM Editor

What a journey this has been. Although we have been to Israel many times, this tour has been outstanding. Zola Tours attracts the nicest pilgrims! We had so many earnest questions and sincere Believers with us that it was a joy to minister among them.

Myles and Katharine at the Agoura (ancient marketplace) of Corinth

It was particularly special to be with Sandra on our first Zola Tour. We carry the same vision and passion for the “Jewishness” of the Gospel and the joy that comes from seeing people discover the Lord in his Hebraic expression. The Israelis loved Zola and these tours are known to be memorable.

The staff and the participants graciously received Myles and me. We felt a seamless transition from the past to the present. As we look to the future, we anticipate more exciting and enlightening trips to the God’s Holy Land, Israel.

We enjoyed introducing people to the joy and rest of Shabbat (Sabbath). We even arrived in Jerusalem on Shabbat, so we felt the peace of the Sabbath descending as we overlooked the city from Mt. Scopus. Sandra read a psalm of ascent and Myles greeted us in Hebrew and English. The boat ride on the Galilee was a highlight for many. Myles spoke about the authority of Jesus over every principality and power and then we worshipped the Lord as His palpable presence filled us to overflowing. It was awesome!

What a privilege it was for me to teach on the Mount of Beatitudes. The Mount is very special to me because that is where Yeshua expounded the Torah in its Kingdom dimensions.

Katharine on Temple's southern steps in Jerusalem

There is great beauty in the Galilee region, especially in the “Jesus triangle” (Capernaum-Chorazin-Bethsaida) where much of His ministry took place. Matthew recounts that people came from very far to hear Him and experience His miracle power. Even today, we see the nations coming to Israel to honor the King and stand for His Word. The biblical sites were bustling with tourists from all over the world—it was encouraging to see.

The TV shows we worked on will greatly bless the ZLM community. We captured the turmoil in Greece for a prophetic show about the Bible and current events. We are also producing a series on the early Church and how the contemporary Body of Messiah is carrying out the early Church’s vision. The interviews Myles and I conducted will challenge and inform our viewing audience.

Even though it is good to come home, my heart is always set on going up to Jerusalem again.

Shalom, shalom to you all.

Katharine

Posted in Katharine Weiss, Zola Tours | Tagged Katharine Weiss, Trip to Greece, Trip to Israel, Zola Tours | 5 Comments

Myles Weiss – more notes from Zola Tour Fall 2011

Posted on November 7, 2011 by ZLM Editor

As I write, rockets are falling here in the southern area of Israel. The group Islamic Jihad has taken credit for the most recent barrage. Of course, any Israeli answer “by fire” is what makes the world news. The delegitimizing, demonizing, and disinformation

Myles and Katharine with Dr. Daniel Juster, Messianic Theologian, Jerusalem

surrounding the news about the Middle East still amazes me. It is relentless, and provides just another reason why we need to be fervent about getting the truth out.

Here is a perfect example: We were taping shows last evening in a Jerusalem park while Israeli families were picnicking nearby. The Jewish families were laughing, playing soccer, and enjoying the sunshine. They would periodically glance over to see what we were doing. Sandra, Zola’s widow, is traveling and filming with us. While Katharine and Sandra were on camera, I walked and prayed, preparing for my next segment. At one point, an Israeli mom stopped me and asked who we were and what we were filming. She assumed we were from CNN or some news network, in Israel to broadcast complaints to the world about “the occupation, the West Bank, and the settlements.” I told her, “No, we are Christians and Jews who love Israel and are making shows to help Americans and the West understand our religious debt to the Jewish people and our need to love and support the Land.” Her eyes welled with tears and, with her voice cracking, she said, “That is so unusual and so beautiful to hear. I wish you much luck.” Later, her friends came by to offer us dessert.

“We heard what you are doing and we want to thank you. We rarely hear of anyone standing on our side like you. Thank you … thank you.”

That is another benefit to being in Israel: We get to see evidence of the goodwill we are sowing among the beleaguered Jewish people who feel that they are otherwise friendless in the world.

Todd Baker (left) and Harvey Zion (right) with a restaurant manager in Jerusalem who was drawn to the Star of David combined with the cross.

Todd Baker—ZLM’s staff theologian—is here as part of our evangelistic outreach, “To the Jew First.” Traveling with Todd is Zola’s childhood friend, Harvey Zion. Together these two are out every day witnessing and preaching to folks in whatever town the tour is visiting. They are bearing fruit for the kingdom—planting, watering, and watching God bring the increase. Nightly, they regale the pilgrims with stories of the Good News going forth in God’s Land. These two men build bridges of love with their clear presentation of the Gospel.

Traveling around, we spend a lot time with our driver, whom I will call “O.” This tall, strong, young Israeli is a security expert and former Special Forces soldier in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces). He is “wide open”—he has never before heard of Jews following Jesus! As we interviewed pastors in Carmel, “O” was able to hear the Good News in Hebrew from a Sabra (a native-born Israeli). For several hours, he listened to talk about Yeshua and the plan of salvation. We followed up with a gift of some Gospel tracts and a Hebrew Tanach and Brit Hadashah (OT and NT). Katharine asked him if he needed prayer, and several times since then, we have stopped and prayed for him in Hebrew and English with our Israeli friends. Please keep him in prayer as the love of the Lord reaches for him in a profound way.

As you can tell, this season on the frontlines is invigorating and very challenging. I am writing to you from a 4-wheel-drive vehicle, coming up to Jerusalem from the upper Negev Desert. Israel is dark as night covers this tiny country. We will watch to see what the near future holds, although we Believers know the end of the story.

The Israel journey culminated with another high point as Katharine, Sandra, and I team-taught the Lord’s Supper/Communion at the Garden Tomb. The presence of the Lord was palpable as the reality of the Resurrection was re-established in our hearts. What an amazing end to the trip of a lifetime!

We are looking forward to this next season for ZLM, because with Yeshua – the best is yet to come.

Posted in Myles Weiss, Uncategorized, Zola Tours | Tagged Myles Weiss, Zola Tours | 1 Comment

Myles Weiss – notes from Zola Tour Fall 2011

Posted on November 4, 2011 by ZLM Editor

This tour has been a joy. Our time in Greece was saturated with the profound contrast between Greco-Roman culture and the heavenly culture of the Gospel of Yeshua. We watched firsthand as the economic woes of the world peaked and focused on the Greek people. As their national strike and deadly protests surrounded us, our interviews with the protestors yielded a common, spoken desire for a Superhero to enter the world stage and “fix” everything. What a confirmation of Scripture and another strong example of the headlines “catching up” to the Bible. The news media eventually stumble over what biblical students already know. World history is unfolding exactly as the Bible predicts.

Here in Israel, we see many wonders as we lead 100 pilgrims through the Land and simultaneously tape several TV shows. We are currently working on Acts: Then and Now … the Story Continues. In this series—also filmed on location in Israel—we highlight Greece and Israel, including interviews with present-day Messianic leaders in Israel. This is a timely and important show. The Body of Christ in Israel is becoming increasingly visible, which is a blessing but also brings persecution. There have been many positive reports in the Israeli news about the Believers in the Land. One unfortunate result: as the “Name above all names” (Philippians 2:9) is on the lips of Jewish people, the resistance to the Gospel also is on some lips.

We enjoyed our trip to Arad to tape a show about sculptor Rick Wienecke and were awestruck by the story of Rick’s sculpture “The Fountain of Tears.” In it, he portrays the two most-significant events in Jewish history: the crucifixion of Yeshua and the Holocaust. As unreal as it may seem, Rick has juxtaposed these two iconic events of suffering and created the most challenging piece of artwork I have ever seen. Government leaders come down to this desert location (some at night, like Nicodemus! John 3:2) to investigate this unusual work of art. Watch for it in the upcoming season of Zola Levitt Presents.

There have already been so many incredible memories made from this trip. Thank you for your prayers for our group.

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Zola Levitt Presents: 8-week TV series on the Book of Ruth (Preview)

Posted on October 27, 2011 by ZLM Editor

Zola Levitt Ministries is very excited about the new television series: “Ruth: Your People Shall Be My People”. It was shot on location in Israel and features verse by verse teachings from Myles and Katharine Weiss, the new hosts of Zola Levitt Presents. Beautiful, dramatic reenactments have been included to help illustrate the key teaching points.

We pray that you and your family will be truly blessed from this study.

More information about the series can be learned at http://www.Levitt.tv.

Shalom!

Posted in Myles Weiss, Videos | Tagged Book of Ruth | 1 Comment

Myles Weiss – Reporting on the Mess in Greece

Posted on October 19, 2011 by ZLM Editor

Greetings from sunny Athens where the clouds of economic insecurity hover over the entire area.

Today we had an amazing opportunity to be on the frontlines of the story unfolding here in Greece. The pilgrims with us for the Zola Tours journey accompanied Katharine and Sandra on a beautiful day touring the historical sites around Athens. The TV crew and I went to Constitution Square and taped the events that are rocking this country and garnering world attention.

As the crowds swelled to thousands of marching, disgruntled Greeks, the demonstrations illustrated yet another instance of the news headlines “catching up” to the Bible. The perplexity displayed here strongly pictures the fate of man without trust in God. We documented the evidence of Scripture prophecies being fulfilled—we were actually in the midst of “wars and rumors of wars”—in this case, war in the heavens playing out on this earthly plane. Anger and grief permeated the demonstrators’ chants and saturated every interview. Oddly though, no one could give a cogent account of how Greece fell into such disarray. There was blame galore (the government, the bankers, the president, greed, other countries), but no clear explanation of the current economic slide and certainly no solutions suggested!

Notably, when I asked various interviewees if they considered that there might be a spiritual connection to the mess, I was met with blank stares and requests for clarification that could not be attributed to language barriers.

The folks on the street uniformly expressed a lack of interest in and connection to any spiritual relationship with everyday life. There is plenty of “religion” here: church buildings and historical documentation regarding the presence of Christianity, but no felt need to be personally involved with the Creator.

Like Athens of old, idols decorate shops on every corner and the Greek pantheon of gods can be seen everywhere as well. There is an eerie sense that time has stood still, and the issues that Paul faced in the first century are still prevalent in modern Greece. The “isms” of man have utterly failed, leaving the people without a human solution to their quandary.

It is very sad. Our guide wept when I prayed for her country. In an odd God moment, yesterday we happened upon a mime in the town square who was dressed in a full white bridal outfit and standing on a pedestal. She was perched statue-still in that robotic way that many of us have seen in large cities around the world. As onlookers dropped coins in her basket, I was struck by how poignantly she portrayed contemporary humanity. She embodied the desire, the longing to be swept off her feet by a hero-groom and whisked away to his palace for an “ever-after” experience. I commented to my wife, the camera crew, and our guide that she was a clear picture of the situation in Greece and around the world … “all dressed up and nowhere to go.”

Without the Bridegroom of Heaven, we are lost.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20)

Myles

Posted in Myles Weiss | Tagged Athens Greece | 5 Comments

About Zola Levitt Ministries

Posted on October 14, 2011 by ZLM Editor

Founded in 1979, Zola Levitt Ministries is a Messianic, Christ-based organization that continues to be a top source for trusted, high-quality Bible teaching with an emphasis on Israel, prophecy and the Jewish roots of Christianity. The ministry produces the weekly television program “Zola Levitt Presents” which is seen on four national networks, as well as independent stations across the U.S.

ZLM’s website, www.Levitt.com, houses a large selection of Christian resources and daily devotional materials. In addition to a library of Christian books, Christian studies, articles, blogs, and archived newsletters, the site also contains a safe chat room, discussion board, daily music and devotional selections, and information related to their seasonal tours of the Holy Land.

http://www.Levitt.com

Posted in Videos | Tagged Zola Levitt Ministries | 1 Comment